By CHARISSA ATIENZA
Newly-elected House Majority Floor Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya Jr. disclosed yesterday that the Duterte administration has allocated an additional R6 billion for the holding of the 2019 midterm poll under the proposed R3.757 trillion national budget for 2019.
The House leader said the additional budget is on top of the R12.4 billion budget earmarked for the Commission on Elections’ preparatory activities for the 2019 poll under this year’s R3.767 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA), describing the 2019 appropriations as an “anti-no-el” (no election) budget. He noted that a total of R18.4 billion was allocated for the conduct of the midterm poll next year.
“May pondo para sa national election in 2019. ‘Yan ay nasa submitted budget ng Pangulo. So the President’s budget is an anti-no-el budget,” Andaya, who served as Budget Secretary during the Arroyo administration, said in an interview.
“So about R18.4 billion ang total for the midterm poll. R12.4 billion in this year’s GAA kasi advance nga mag-isip ang Comelec at R6 billion ang nasa 2019 NEP (National Expenditure Program). You can validate this with Comelec,” he said.
Andaya said critics of the Duterte government should stop spreading lies that the midterm poll will be scrapped.
“So ‘yung mga conspiracy theorists na nagsasabi na walang election, as far as the President’s budget is concerned ay mali. There is funding for the May 2019 elections as scheduled. Between speculations and proposed appropriation, mas klaro ‘yung nasa budget,” he said.
